An applied technology transfer process

The applied technology transfer process is a communication process based on planning, marketing, and training. Planning is the single most important element, while pre-planning is also essential. The marketing part of applied technology transfer involves an in-depth knowledge of both consumers and products. A sound knowledge of media is also essential. The marketing step is the key delivery or transfer element. Applied technology transfer is a system that requires skills such as management and communication techniques which can be learned in traditional academic courses. However, other skills such as applied human relations are more easily learned under a supervised workshop approach. More complex technology transfer systems require additional training on a continuing education basis. The development of technology transfer learning centers can also be useful. Applied technology transfer is a research investment rather than a cost. It is the technology transfer process that insures the timely application of research effort. Research pay-off is derived from use of research products. Thus, applied technology transfer represents research delivery insurance.     

Technological Transfers from the European Space Programs: A Dynamic View and Comparison with Other R&D Projects

This article presents the results and lessons learned from a series of studies carried out by the BETA research team (University Louis Pasteur of Strasbourg, France) to measure the spin-offs and technological transfers that resulted from European space programs. Beyond the quantitative results that are analyzed in detail, the article examines some of the main qualitative characteristics that shape the technology transfer process generated by these programs. In particular, it is demonstrated that three main characteristics have a significant impact on the technology transfer process: the nature of the technologies at stake (their degree of maturity, their degree of diversity, the extent to which they are generic or specific), the nature of the network of participants to the programs (the degree of mutual trust, the existence of absorptive capabilities) and the nature of the organizational structure of those firms which participated in the projects (their degree of decentralization, their degree of vertical integration).The article concludes by discussing how these lessons learned could be used to shape the procurement policies to be followed by space agencies in order to favor a high potential for technological transfers arising from future space projects.     

Network building conferences in support of industry-wide innovations

Promoting industry-wide innovation is a particularly difficult problem of technology transfer because of issues of proprietary information and competition. A promising approach to this problem is network-building through mission-oriented conferences that facilitate communication among those involved in the transfer of technology. This paper defines basic concepts of networking and views mission-oriented conferences as temporary systems. It describes how one mission-oriented conference, the Footwear Technology Symposium, was designed to promote networking. The paper also provides examples of other mission-oriented conferences (including a number of what have been called “research utilization conferences”). The article concludes with a set of recommendations for planners of mission-oriented conferences.     

A pilot survey of courses in technology transfer offered at selected colleges and universities in the United States

This survey was developed to determine the nature of the programs and courses intechnology transfer now in existence in the United States. A pilot study approach was used, without operationalizing a definition, to avoid excluding possible technology transfer activities. Results indicate twenty colleges and universities offering courses in a wide range of academic settings including engineering, business, psychology, sociology, political science, environmental studies and agriculture. With the majority of respondents, technology transfer is studied as a combination of the history of science and technology, management, information science, and communication. In this sense, it appears to be an interdisciplinary study with a strong direction toward communication protocols, and management skills as primary outcomes.     

Success Factors for Transferring Technology to Spin-off Applications: the Case of The Technology Property Rights Concession Program in Korea

This paper is a study of 127 firms participating in Korea's Technology Property Rights Concession Program, a program designed to stimulate technology transfer related to spin-off applications of public technology. The purpose is to identify the determinants of transfer success. The findings indicate that successful firms were motivated by the ability to access a core technology free of charge and to solve technical problems currently encountered in technology development. Second, the targeted technology was highly reliable. Third, interest in commercial success of the transfer was very high among the researchers involved in the transfer process and these researchers had a high degree of prior understanding about industrial problems on the part of participating firms. Relatedly, there was a very high satisfaction with the communication that existed between lab researchers and their industrial partners in the transfer process. Fourth, lab contributions to the transfer process were very high in the pre-commercial and commercial stages of technology development.     

Transferring technology transfer into an Air Force unit

This article describes barriers to technology transfer and changes that occurred when a technology—artificial intelligence—was introduced in an applied high-technology setting at the Deputate of Communications-Computers. Electronic Security Command, US Air Force, San Antonio, TX. The authors, who were responsible for transferring the technology, based their method on an accepted model that focuses on the ability of individuals to bring about change. They regard technology transfer as the introduction and communication of a technology for practical application. Transfer into an organization entails an appreciation by the transfer agent and the recipient of how the technology will be received, used, and applied; how it will affect the recipient's management style; and how the transfer process is designed to meet the needs of the organization. Identifying, infusing, and marketing technologies often causes hostile reactions by the targeted receiver, partly because it is a challenge to the status quo and partly because the organization's technical and non-technical people don't see eye-to-eye. This has been true in our setting. Specialists have been too adamant to accept contrary views and management has not taken the need for specialists and their new technologies seriously enough. He is Chief, Rapid Prototyping Section, and he heads artificial-intelligence development.     

Technology transfer: A look at the federal sector

An important resource in the search for solutions to serious issues confronting the United States is the science and technology which result from Federally funded research and development. To obtain the optimum return on this significant investment requires that the resultant technology be adapted for secondary utilization and/or be transferred to primary and secondary users. This article describes the magnitude and scope of Federally sponsored research and development and describes the major Federal technology transfer efforts. While present technology transfer efforts, mostly passive, are necessary, there is need for more active methods. The Federal government is seeking ways to improve its technology transfer effort. General agreement on the following actions appears to exist: Stronger support by Federal research and development management, and increased commitment of personnel and funding to the Federal technology transfer effort.     

A model for technology transfer: Group-decision support systems and electronic meetings

The commercialization of research and development inventions is necessary for the US to enhance its industrial competitive position. Problems in technology transfer are attributed to a variety of causes, primary among them the intensive communications required between technology sources and users. In this paper, group-decision support systems and electronic meetings are used in designing a method that can enhance the exchange of ideas and the communication necessary to bring about a successful transaction of technology transfer.     

Academic spin-offs, corporate spin-outs and company internal start-ups as technology transfer approach

As a rule, a technology transfer gap exists between research and development and the commercialisation of the results. This article investigates the role of new ventures for technology transfer from universities and research institutions as well as between or within companies to close this gap. Based on case studies in Germany and Switzerland, different examples of this technology transfer approach have been analysed. Academic spin-offs can help to transfer technology from universities and research institutions to industry especially if there is the need for additional funding to further develop the technology. Corporate spin-outs can be used for technology transfer between companies as an alternative to closing operations should these no longer fit into the parent organisation. Internal start-ups were identified as a new approach for company internal technology transfer from research departments to business units focused on commercial operations to overcome innovation barriers within companies.     

“云计算”的法律问题及其对策

云计算本质是新型的信息服务模式,它既改变了用户设备、软件的支配关系,也使用户对数据丧失了直接的掌控能力。因此,云服务引发了许多新的法律问题,如信息安全、数据权利、知识产权、司法管辖。云服务问题仍然植根于信息通信技术应用产生的问题,我们必须从技术、标准、法律、商业等多角度,解决云计算机的安全和相关问题,以消除我国信息技术的应用方面的法律障碍。     

The mismatch between the in-country determinants of technology transfer,and the scope of technology transfer initiatives under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Despite decades of international political emphasis, little is known about the in-country determinants of technology transfer for climate change mitigation. We draw upon the conclusions of a series of standardised, official governmental statements of technology priorities, coupled with questionnaire-based data collection, to shed light on the nature of those determinants. We find that there is a disconnect between what developing country governments perceive as the key enablers of, and barriers to, technology transfer, and what bilateral and multilateral technology transfer programmes can offer, given budgetary constraints and the logic of development aid spending. We show that the well-established notion of making climate change mitigation actions an integral part of sound development plans is especially relevant for technology transfer. We offer pointers as to how this might be done in practice, in the context of the ‘technology action plans’ developed as part of the United Nations-sponsored technology needs assessment process.     

DoD technology for commercialization: Sharing the wealth means spreading the word

The fortunes of information transfer and technology are inextricably bound. The extent to which technology transfer is accomplished depends largely on the effectiveness, selectivity, and efficiency with which information is transferred. This article reviews DoD agents that bring about the transfer of its information; in doing so, they contribute to the transfer of DoD’s technology to state and local governments and to the private sector. It emphasizes the role played by the Defense Technical Information Center.     

Technology transfer legislation: An overview

This article provides an overview of the Federal legislation on technology transfer beginning with the Bayh-Dole and Stevenson-Wydler acts of 1980 and ending with the 1987 Executive Order, “Facilitating Access to Science and Technology.” The legislation and Executive Order provide the context for Federal laboratory technology transfer activities. The article covers the historic development of transfer legislation, the authorities given to laboratories, incentives for technology transfer provided by legislation, and the mandated duties and responsibilities of ORTAs, organizations, and agencies.     

Evaluating academic technology transfer performance by how well access to knowledge is facilitated––defining an access metric

Why should research institutions engage in technology transfer? Some say it is about the money. Others say it is about public service and benefit. In the end, we measure what we value. If we only measure money, we confound the non-profit mission of the research institution. If we measure economic impact, the non-profit technology transfer office is often expected to become the economic developer, confusing real estate and business development with technology transfer, often without additional funding. These mission strains lead to overwhelm, fatigue, service shortcomings, and unhappy customers across all classes of stakeholders. This article suggests a return to center for academic technology transfer offices (TTOs) by focusing on a most important question for drivers of our present global knowledge economy––how well does a TTO facilitate access to knowledge protected by intellectual property of its faculty and institution? This article proposes that academic technology transfer performance should be evaluated by how well a TTO avails access to knowledge. Given that performance measures are also referred to as “metrics,” we call this preferred outcomes orientation an access metric.     

A legal perspective on university technology transfer

In the thirty-five years after passage of the Bayh–Dole Act of 1980, a robust literature has documented the emergence of university technology transfer as a critical mechanism for the dissemination and commercialization of new technology stemming from federally-funded research. Missing from these investigations, however, is what this paper terms the legal perspective, an understanding of how the law and its attendant mechanisms impact university technology transfer. Specifically, the paper reviews the extant legal scholarship and provides examples of how case law, legal structures, and the unique nature of intellectual property law affects technology transfer, as well as higher education policy and management. Throughout, we propose critical questions for future investigation, which serve to form a cross-disciplinary research agenda that can contribute fresh insights to scholarly and policy discussions related to the role of universities in economic and social development.     

The adaptation of American business school teaching techniques in Lesotho,Africa: A case study

This study deals with the transfer of American business school technology to the National University of Lesotho. The study considers the nature of the transfer process, the local innovations to the education program, and the role of the government of Lesotho in the transfer. Appropriate recommendations are offered to further improve the effectiveness of the educational package and its effect on the economic development of Lesotho.     

Contemporary criminal defence practice: importance of active involvement at the investigative stage and related training requirements

ABSTRACT

The shifting focus of criminal proceedings from the trial to the pre-trial stages leads to a changing role of criminal defence practitioners across Europe. European criminal defence lawyers are now expected to enter the proceedings earlier and exercise “active” and “participatory” defence as early as the investigative stage. Criminal lawyers, trained in the traditional trial-centred paradigm, are ill-prepared for this role, which results in an important skills gap. Legal representation at the investigative stage presents unique challenges, such as shortage of information, time pressures and the closed nature of pre-trial proceedings. It requires lawyers to operate in a more complex communication environment, than the one to which they have been accustomed. This article sets out the main elements of a professional training programme aiming to fill in the emerging skills gap. The training programme (SUPRALAT) was successfully implemented in Belgium, Hungary, Ireland and the Netherlands, and is being expanded further. The training focuses on effective communication skills, experiential learning and the development of reflective skills. It includes elements of interprofessional training and encourages the development of “communities of practice”.     

A longitudinal analysis of technical communication in research and development

A unique longitudinal study of the technical communication patterns of 184 engineers in a high technology research and development laboratory centers in the activities of technology gatekeepers. This two-step flow of technical information follows the literature as well as results from prior studies. Gatekeepers span the organizational boundary in the transfer of technology from outside the laboratory, while facilitating the distribution of technical information to colleagues within the organization. Sociometric data are analyzed over a five-year period with respect to changing organizational structures, new technical assignments and alterations in group composition. Despite these dynamic changes, the data reveal consistent results in gatekeeper identification and technical information flows.     

A strategy for accelerating the use of energy conserving building technologies

To accelerate the use of energy-conserving building technologies in the farflung, decentralized buildings industry, a strategy for more directed transfer of government research to public- and private-sector users has been implemented. The strategy involves a cycle of four sets of activities: (1) Needs assessment; (2) development of transferable information; (3) outreach activities; and (4) feedback and evaluation. By employing this iterative technology transfer cycle and emphasizing trade and professional organizations as communication channels to and from users, it is hoped that research sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Building Systems Division will be responsive to the industry's needs and accessible to its diverse participants.     

Understanding Transnational Policy Flows in Security and Justice

This article examines the contribution of scholarly work on ‘policy transfer’ and related concepts to our knowledge of how far, and in what ways, particular policy ‘models’ of security and justice travel across national boundaries, and what might explain this phenomenon. The article begins by summarizing the key findings of extant empirical studies of cross‐national policy movement in the fields of crime, security, and justice. It then considers the normative dimension to debates about policy transfer, observing that much of the literature adopts a pessimistic position about the problematic nature of international policy movement in security and justice, and discusses some of the reasons for such pessimism. The article then reflects on ways in which normative principles could be applied to considerations of prospective policy transfer, and the implications for the broader possibilities for ‘progressive’ policy transfer in relation to crime, security, and justice.